


Tracking the Dead

by Pink_Sparkle_Princess



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2020-12-14 04:10:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21009509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pink_Sparkle_Princess/pseuds/Pink_Sparkle_Princess
Summary: Jeanne Mason is caught in the zombie apocalypse with her two young daughters, will she survive?This fic was moved over from ff.net, and has been reworked, so give it a reread.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Looking for a beta for this work, if you're interested leave me a comment please.

Chapter One

The day began as usual, busy. It was hot in the small diner and cramped as the wait staff fumbled over and around one another in an intricate dance of shouting orders and slinging plates. Everything seemed normal. It was a day like any other. 

Around two in the afternoon things began to slow down a little, when the old bell over the diner door made a soft jingling sound and Jeanne Mason looked up. It was an older man, a bandage on his hand, he moved on wobbly legs toward the nearest table and all but fell into the booth. Dolores Johns her coworker moved toward him quickly with a glass of water to check on him. A moment later the man had collapsed on the floor and Dolores was yelling at Jeanne to call an ambulance.

With her heart racing she had dialed 911 and waited for it to connect. The woman on the other end took her name and location and then told her someone was on the way, she asked if the man was breathing. Jeanne and Dolores confirmed he was not, and the woman asked them if they knew CPR, neither of them did. Jeanne told the woman she could hear the sirens and the dispatcher signed off. Then a strange thing happened, and it happened all at once.

First the man sat up, then he looked at Dolores. She gasped and started to smile talking to him, telling him how he gave her an awful fright, then the man was latching on to Dolores, biting her neck and ripping a chunk out of her. Dolores screamed, and before she knew what she was doing, Jeanne had a heavy metal pitcher in her hand and was bashing the man with it over the head. The first swing didn't seem to faze him much and he turned and bit Jeanne on the wrist. She pulled away only having been grazed. She hit him over and over until she heard his skull crack. She wasn't sure what had come over her, but she knew the man was dead when he slumped to the floor. Dolores was just sitting there holding her neck, screaming and crying, blood bubbling out between her fingers. Jeanne pulled a clean rag from her apron and pressed it to the wound, shushing Dolores trying to calm her down. 

A moment later the paramedics were filing in the front door with a police officer. Jeanne called the owner of the diner; he said he'd call someone to come in, but that she should close up until they got there. The police officer asked Jeanne what had happened, and Dolores tried to calm down and confirmed her story as she was packed into the ambulance. The paramedic assured Jeanne that Dolores would be fine, and Jeanne told Dolores she would come see her at the hospital.

Jeanne finally pried her fingers off the pitcher she had been holding. A cold chill was crawling up her spine. Something was wrong, very very wrong. After they had packed the man up in a body bag and carted him out of the diner, Jeanne worked to clean up the puddle of blood, but she could not shake that cold chill that was setting in. When another waitress, Charlene, arrived to take her place Jeanne grabbed her purse, ran by the grocery store and picked up as much canned food and bottled water as she could get her hands on as well as batteries and fuel for the lanterns. Then she went by her friend Nicky's place and picked up the girls.

The girls were Emma and Eve. Emma was a child some woman had left with Merle, while Eve was hers and Daryl’s. She tucked the children into the car seats in the truck and headed into the deep backwoods of Georgia, to the house She, Daryl, and his brother Merle shared.

Merle was always dragging Daryl off on some grand adventure, hunting down in the swamps of Louisiana, or poaching in the Appalachians, sometimes it was just taking the bikes down to Dayton. "Nothin' better an free titties!" Merle always told her. Then he'd pack up the bikes and they would be off.

"I promise it's not gonna be fur long." Daryl had told her. "I jus gotta keep 'im outta trouble. You know how he gits. I'll be home soon." That had been over two years ago, and he had never made it home. So she kept taking care of Merle's little one as well as her own. He had never called, never written, she assumed he had just…forgotten about her. At least he'd left her the old Ram, gas guzzler that it was, she kept it and her family running.

Jeanne knew Daryl just as well as she knew Merle, they had grown up together. Jeanne's mother had run out on her daddy when she was five, and her daddy had drunk himself to death by the time she was eight. Daryl's daddy had been her daddy's best friend and had taken her in on the condition she took care of the boys, Merle almost fourteen, and Daryl a year older than she.

So she cooked and cleaned, washed and mended, and kept the house together. On weekends she went out hunting with the boys, then cleaned their kills and cooked them. Sometimes she was the reason they ate, when Daryl's daddy had drank up all the grocery money. She could track better than Merle, better than Daryl sometimes, much to Daryl's chagrin. One day, after they had finished stringing up a deer Daryl had shot and she had tracked for a mile and a half, he grabbed her hand pulled her away, kissed her hard on the mouth and said "You and me, we're always gonna be together. You're my girl Jeanne." And from then on she had been.

Jeanne came back to the present when Emma made a sound in the back seat. "Emma, it's alright." Jeanne said softly, not sure what the girl was agitated about.

"That man was biting that woman!" She cried indignantly. Jeanne had no words.

"Don't look." She told Emma as Eve began to cry.

The trip to the house was long and nerve racking as she took the old long dirt road, then the leaf covered path that lead off toward the shack they called home. She got the girls inside and unpacked the truck before going out and boarding up the windows and reinforcing the door. She had no idea what was happening but she was sure it could be nothing good. Once inside she cleaned and wrapped her wrist, then she packed up all her gear, as well as the gear for the children, then she made supper, and they ate in agitated silence.

After putting the girls to bed she turned on the old radio and listened to the news. Reports were coming in about people biting other people, people dying and coming back, people attacking other people. No one was certain what was going on; no one knew anything other than that people were not staying dead. Cold shivers racked Jeanne as she lay on the narrow bed in her dark room and listened to the night noise of the woods around her. They had at least a month's worth of food and water; she hoped all of the craziness would blow over by then. She knew she wouldn't have her job anymore, but she could hunt, she could get food, and the well was clean. They would make it until she found another job. Winter would be hard, but they would survive.

The next morning the news was the same. And for two weeks it continued, then one day Jeanne turned on the news and there was nothing, she tried other stations but there was mostly static. That made her nervous. The media was shutting down, what was going on out there? Her sheltered little world was fast becoming frightening and secluded, a remote island in a hurricane.

Another week passed before her world was shattered. The wound on her wrist had healed without incident, a light fever and a bit of puss, but then it had closed up and she had been fine. As she was washing dishes in the sink, she heard a thud at the door. It startled her and she went to look through the small cracks in the wood that gave her just enough to see outside.

There at the door, in her uniform was Dolores, a very dead Dolores. Jeanne made a soft sound then backed away. The gaping bite on her neck had festered, her skin a pallid gray, her hands hook like, and her skin pulled back from black rotting teeth. Jeanne knew from the news reports that the bites seemed to be the trigger for this thing, whatever it was. This disease, this plague, it was carried through bites or scratches. She had been terrified when she had heard that on the news, but her wrist had healed, and she had not suffered the kind of fever that seemed to come with the bites.

Dolores banged into the door again and Emma came running in, Eve hot on her heels. "What's dat Mommy?" Eve asked. Jeanne made a soft "shh" sound.

Then knelt down next to her girls and whispered just barely "We have to be quiet. Let's go to your room." She said picking Eve up and taking Emma's hand. There room was a small broom closet sized alcove with a door, with an ancient bunk bed and a small chest, at the very center of the house. She took the girls in and got them settled. Then she whispered again. "Emma, I want you to stay right here. Do not come out of here, no matter what you hear. I will come get you, until then do not come out. Do you understand?" Jeanne asked as she tucked a couple of boxes of pop tarts into the top dresser drawer and several bottles of water on top. Emma nodded. "Ok what do you do?"

"I stay here with Evie and we don't come out no matter what we hear, until you come get us." Jeanne nodded. She kissed the girls softly on the forehead, then closed the door to their room and bolted it from the outside. She went to the dresser in her room, dug through the top drawer, sifting through her panties and slips, and found the revolver Daryl had always kept there for emergencies. She popped it open checked to make sure it was loaded, then swung it closed and spun the cylinder, then removed the safety, and cocked the hammer.

She moved to the door and looked out. Dolores was still there, but now there was another one, a man in a lab coat with blood all over him, he had a gaping wound on his side, his skin a sickly gray, his ankle obviously broken. Jeanne took a deep breath, according to the news and her previous experience she knew she had to shoot them in the head. She took another deep breath and threw open the door, she took a quick shot at Dolores catching her right between the eyes, then stepped out and shot the doctor in the side of the head before he could turn toward her.

Just as she was turning to go back into the house she heard another one moaning and shuffling toward her. She turned and shot at him, but he stumbled at the last moment and she missed. It only took her a second to take another shot. That one caught him in the face, blowing his brain to bits through the back of his head. The whole ordeal had only taken three minutes, but it had felt like a hundred years.

She quickly went back inside and closed the door reinforcing it with steel bars. Then she went to her room, took three deep breaths, tucked the gun into the back of her jeans, and pulled her shirt over it, before going and getting the girls. That night Jeanne slept huddled with the children in their small room.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The next day Jeanne woke to the sound of scratching and thumping on the door and windows. She struggled to her feet, and woke Emma. "Remember what I told you yesterday?" Emma nodded.

"Don't come out?" Jeanne nodded. Then left the girls, bolted the door, and went after more bullets for her gun. She reloaded and looked through the crack in the door. She could see at least three crowded around the front door, and through a crack in the window she could see two about ten yards away, near the closest tree. Another one was wandering near the side of the house.

Jeanne took a couple of deep breaths, stuck the gun through the crack in the door and fired at the first one catching it in the left eye. The other three began to move toward the house, she moved to the window, seeing more coming she broke the window out, fired two shots at the closest one, then shot the next one that came close. "Three down," she muttered to herself, "and only two bullets in the gun." One of the things began banging at the wood on the window and Jeanne took the shot at him.

She shot the next one that approached then reloaded, before taking a shot at the last two. She could see more coming toward the house, but she wasn't about to waste anymore bullets if she didn't have to. She grabbed the two rifles off the wall and all the shells she could get her hands on, tucking them into a shoulder pack. Then she strapped on the belt Daryl always used when he went out and then grabbed the crossbow off the rack and the quiver of arrows. She strapped the quiver to her back as well as the crossbow, tucked the gun in her belt grabbed the box of bullets, and tucked them in the bag too.

She looked out the window; there were at least four more coming. She burst through the door and shot each one, taking her time, making her ammunition count. Then she made a run for the truck, backed it up to the house and loaded everything she could into the back of the old Ram. Once that was finished she loaded the girls in, and told them not to get out. Then she came around the side, pulled over to the shed, loaded the fifteen gallons of gas she had been storing for winter into the back and closed it up.

She could see more of the things coming and ran back into the house. She grabbed the lantern off the table, pulled out the wick and collar, and dumped the fuel out of the lantern onto the floor, then she lit the other one and started yelling and screaming, getting as many of the things to come into the house as she could. As they crowded in on her, she ran to her room and slammed the door. Pried the boards off the window and jumped out going around to the front she tossed the lantern in and closed the door, blocking it with a chair from the front porch.

She ran to the truck and jumped in, cranking the thing up again she watched for a moment as the house caught and began to burn. Her life was in that house, her dreams, everything. She watched for only a moment longer before taking the path out onto the dirt road and out of town toward Atlanta. Before the radio had gone dead, she had heard there were refugee camps in Atlanta; if she could get there maybe they would be safe. Maybe she could help that big Center for Diseases, or whatever it was called, cure this mess. She was immune, maybe others were too. She wouldn't risk the girls getting bit, but she had one less worry.

As she reached the old dirt road she breathed a soft sigh, she was on her way, but where? She leaned over to grab the Georgia map out of the dash box; she could look that over and see where she needed to go to get to Atlanta. As she leaned over to reach the clip on the dash box Emma cried out and Jeanne jerked up right, swerving. As she did she clipped the left side of a dead thing and sent him cart wheeling to the right and off the road into the ditch. Jeanne gasped as a spray of bloody black ooze coated the windshield and she instinctively slammed on the brakes.

Once stopped, she checked the rearview mirror to see if the thing was getting up, it seemed to be staying down, so she grabbed the map and unfolded it on the seat beside her. Finding the small town of Cecil, Georgia on the map, she knew if she could get on 75 she could take that all the way up to Atlanta, the trip wouldn't take more than three hours, five at the most, she hoped.

Getting on the interstate was easy, there was almost no traffic at first, then there were a few cars she had to pull around, they were mostly stalled out on the road side, or only blocking one lane. It was warm and she had the windows cracked to let in the summer breeze. It was a beautiful day, or it would have been, had the dead not been walking around, trying to eat the living.

Everything went rather smoothly until she got about two miles outside of Tifton. There was a huge pile up on her side of the interstate, and some of the cars had the dead things moving around them. She and Emma rolled up the windows, as she eased into the deep grassy median and over onto the south bound lane, she passed the pile up pretty easily but had to take the next exit and get off the interstate to get around the wreckage of an eighteen wheeler that had turned over and blocked four lanes and half the median, and a pile up she couldn't pass on the northbound side. It looked as though the big rig crashed taking at least seven cars with it, effectively blocking all eight lanes of 75.

She took 41 up to 7 before she could snake back up through Ashburn and try to get back onto 75, the only thing was, when she got back to the interstate both the on and off ramps were blocked with wreckage and crawling with the dead.

By then Jeanne was tired and found it hard to focus on the road anymore, so she found an empty lot behind a Family Dollar and parked close to the building. She turned off the truck, locked the doors, climbed into the back seat with the girl, pulled them onto the floor, and tried to get some rest. The town had looked pretty deserted, she hadn't seen a living soul as she slowly made her way through town, and she had only seen one of the dead.

The next morning Jeanne woke with the sun, she fished in the back of the Ram for a couple of granola bars and a bottle of water, and the girls and she ate in silence.

"Where are we going Mama?" Emma asked softly as she put Eve back in her car seat and worked her little fingers around the latch. Jeanne was the only mother Emma had ever known, she was glad to fill the void for the little girl.

"Oh baby…I'm not sure, but I hope Atlanta. The news said they have camps for people like us." Jeanne checked the latch on Eve's car seat then climbed back into the front seat. "You ready to go?" Eve gave a small, somewhat nervous sound and Emma nodded. Jeanne adjusted the mirror to look back at them, then buckled her lap belt and started the truck. She backed up and then pulled out of the parking lot behind the Family Dollar. After an hour of picking her way around the dead, weaving around stalled and burning cars, and trying in vain to get back on the interstate, Jeanne came to an exit that would allow her access. Once back on I-75 she was met with other cars, these cars however were running and filled with people, living people. There were hundreds of them, but traffic was moving, if slowly.

For miles in both directions there were cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs loaded with people and their worldly possessions. Some of the things people were bringing with them Jeanne thought were ridiculous. "Yes because you need your seventy-two inch flat screen in a refugee camp." She said sarcastically as she pulled alongside a big SUV with tinted windows and music blaring. The blonde woman in the front seat was fiddling with her iPhone, apparently trying to get reception, but it seemed useless. The kids in the back seat were playing with some kind of game device and a laptop dvd player respectively. 'My god,' Jeanne thought. 'There is no way these people will survive without power.’

The traffic moved slowly toward Atlanta, over the course of eight hours Jeanne and the others moved close to four miles. The interstate was fast becoming a parking lot; cars lined the side of the road, most of them out of gas. There were men and women walking with backpacks loaded down with stuff, one guy had a computer strapped to his back and nothing else. There were women leaning into car windows, Jeanne assumed making trades for rides or gas or anything they could get.

Another four hours passed and Jeanne was out of gas. The Ram was a gas guzzler and she was dead on the road. She quickly packed all the food and water she could into the pack she had tossed into the back of the truck, strapped the rifles and cross bow to her back, put Emma into a smaller pack, tucked Eve into her chest carrier and set out on foot. She walked for about three miles before things began to get bad.

Everything happened so quickly. She first heard someone scream and then she heard the moans. She stopped looked around and then headed into the woods along the side of the road. She watched as a hoard of the walking dead moved out of the tree line and toward the people on the road. At first the people in the cars didn't know what was happening, but then they all at once seemed to realize they were in danger and all tried to get out of their cars in one mass exodus. Those who could get out, began running, while those who could not were trapped in their cars, some of them broke out their windows and tried to climb out but most were so close together they couldn't get out and breaking the glass only shortened the time for the inevitable. The dead were slowed by those they could get a hold of, but not for long, there were so many of them that the people on the highway were overwhelmed, those that died got up and went after those who were still alive.

Jeanne moved quickly before finding a large live oak and boosting Emma to a lower branch then handed Eve up to her, and finally pulled herself up. They climbed a little higher and waited. Jeanne smothered her fear and the little girls' as a group of the dead moved under the tree they were hiding in.

Jeanne waited in the tree for several hours before she was even willing to move. Finally, as the sun was sinking and twilight was falling on the Georgia woods, Jeanne dug into her pack and pulled out a length of rope. She tied one end of the rope to the tree, and then wrapped it around her waist then around the branch, then she twined it around both Eve and Emma.

"We're gonna sleep in this tree tonight. But I have to tie us to it so we don't fall out, ok?" She said as she wrapped the rope around the branch again and tied it off. Emma and Eve both nodded.

That night the girls both slept soundly, however Jeanne could not find sleep. She could not find peace. Her mind reeled with the thoughts of what had happened. If she hadn't run out of gas when she did, she and the girls would have been trapped in the truck. It sent cold chills through her. She could still hear moans from the highway, could still hear the sound of those trapped in their cars crying out in terror now and again.

The night passed slowly and Jeanne was alert for every sound. She knew she had to get farther away from the highway, but she didn't know where to go after that. She debated all night whether to go on toward Atlanta or try to find a safer place somewhere else. She was still unsure of the answer when morning broke.

When the girls woke, she fed them more granola bars and water, then untied them. "I have to potty." Eve said softly. Jeanne nodded, and together the three of them climbed out of the tree. Jeanne scanned the area then let Eve and Emma squat next to the tree. Once they were finished Jeanne did the same, as she was pulling her jeans back up she heard rustling in the brush to her left, as she turned she caught sight of it and gasped.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

There in the brush to her left stood a small child, no older than Eve. She had a tear in her cheek and a gash across her shoulder. Her little yellow sun dress was coated in thick black ooze, and her right eye was hanging from its socket. The thing that had once been a little girl came shuffling toward Jeanne and the girls. Eve screamed and began to cry while Emma gasped and began to back away.

Jeanne grabbed the cross bow and loaded a bolt, gasping for breath she took aim at the little girl. Then steadying herself she said "I'm so sorry." but to whom she was not sure, then let the bolt fly. It caught the creature through the forehead and she crumpled to the ground. Jeanne moved slowly toward the dead child, crying softly she ripped the bolt from her limp body, then tucked it back into the quiver. She backed away gathering the girls in her arms as she cried softly for a several minutes.

She then pulled herself together, pulled her pack on, got Emma into her pack, strapped the rifles and the crossbow and bolts to her back, and then lifted Eve into her chest carrier. She whispered softly to Eve to calm her as they moved deeper into the woods. Still wiping tears from her face, she stiffened up, trying not to think about what had just transpired. 

As they travelled, Jeanne would pause every few minutes to listen and then kept the girls moving, they traveled that way for most of the day. As the sun began to streak the sky with red, orange, and purple Jeanne found another tree, and boosted the girls up, then she climbed up herself before tying her packs to a branch, then pulled a tarp out of her pack and spread it over two branches below where she and the children would sleep.

Once Jeanne was satisfied with her work she fed the children, then she tied them to the tree again. Sleep was hard for Jeanne to find, and when she did fall asleep her sleep was restless, filled with strange sounds and colors that really made no sense but left her with a sense of fear and dread. When she woke she knew she had to keep moving.

The next week passed slowly and the same way, she was not sure she was headed in the right direction to even get to Atlanta, and she was afraid to get near the highway again. She was running low on food and water, and she was terrified to use the gun for fear of bringing attention to herself. She continued to move forward, through the woods, hoping she would come out close to a small town. After another two days of hiking the backwoods of Georgia the forest began to thin and she began to see signs of a small town. She came to a road, there were a few cars most of them stalled or burned out.

She and the girls began to follow the road, still pausing regularly to listen. Eve had gotten restless about two days in and insisted on walking on her own. Jeanne was grateful, as it was so hot. Now she carried her bedroll and a few snacks on her back. Their food was dwindling quickly and their water was all but gone, Jeanne knew they had to reach a town soon or they would…she didn't want to think about that.

Another hour brought them to the bottom of a hill, the sun was baking hot and both little girls with their feathery blonde hair, Eve's almost white, light blue eyes, and fair skin, were both burning badly. Even Jeanne with her slightly darker complexion of ash blonde hair and green eyes was burning. If thirst didn't kill them exposure might.

'Stop thinking like that Jeanne!' She ordered herself as they began to mount the hill. A few more minutes of climbing brought them to the top. Jeanne's heart began to lift as they reached the top of the hill and saw down the other side. There, in stark contrast to the overwhelming feeling of exposure, was a quiet little town. It looked mostly deserted, she could see a few of the dead wandering aimlessly through the streets, but other than that, the town looked empty; a veritable ghost town.

Jeanne let out a small sigh of relief. She was sure she could take out the dead easily, and she hoped to find some supplies in the abandoned shops.

That night she and the girls made camp in the back of an empty hardware store. The front of the shop had bars on the windows and a roll door. She had killed seven of the dead in all, more than she had wanted, but she supposed she was lucky it was only seven. The girls huddled close to her, as they shared the snacks Jeanne had pilfered from the convenience store across the street. Jeanne was also able to pick up a crowbar and a hand axe that she hoped would be useful.

That night passed slowly for Jeanne as she kept a watchful eye and ear out for any sign of the dead. The night moved slowly and was spiked with fear at every sound. There were long moments of silent throughout laced with terror for her. How had this happened? Where would they go next? Could she and the girls get to Atlanta? Was there a cure? She had no answers for any of those questions, but she had taken an atlas from the gas station. She had poured over it for at least two hours trying to figure out where she was and how to get to Atlanta. It seemed like ten thousand miles.

"Hell it might as well be." She said to herself. Sighing she got up to move around a bit and then came back to sit with the girls. They slept peacefully and to her that was a relief.

The next morning Jeanne locked the girls inside the office of the store. "Like at the house, you stay here and you don't come out." She told Emma.

"Yes mama." She said softly.

"I'll be right back; I just need to go get some supplies. You stay here, and you stay quiet. Keep an eye on Eve." Emma nodded and Jeanne locked the office door. She had slung her pack on as she was leaving the office, and was headed out onto the street when something grabbed her. Cold panic had her in its grasp as she swung around kicking and swinging.

"Stop struggling." A low, male voice said. Jeanne's breathing evened out as she realized what had grabbed her was not dead.

"Let me go." She said roughly. The hand did not release her.

"You're a pretty little thing." He said pulling her closer, his mouth beside her ear.

"Is this what that's about? I might be a pretty little thing, but you better take your hands off of me or you're gonna be a dead big thing." The man laughed harshly as he turned her toward him.

He was taller than her by at least a head, barrel chested, and well muscled. He was tanned, his face chiseled, and at least a few days stubble had grown in. He might have been handsome once, had he not had the gleam of insanity in his eye. "You think you can kill me?" He asked. "You think you can kill me?!" He bellowed, then laughed as he drug her toward an open door way. Jeanne slowly reached for the crowbar that hung in the loop on her pack. As he dragged her toward the door she swung at him.

The crowbar caught him in the side of the head and he crumpled to the ground. "Might not kill you but I sure as hell can crack your skull." She said kicking him. She hit him again just to be sure, then turned away and headed toward the pharmacy that was on the corner.

Inside she found one of the dead and put it down, before moving to the back and looking at all the pills there. She took anything she thought would be of use. She didn't know much about medicine but she recognized things like penicillin and amoxicillin. She also recognized some of the painkillers and antidepressants. Merle had taken most of them at one time or another. She put them all in her bag then went through the store gathering first aid supplies and other nonprescription medicine.

When she thought she had everything she might need she headed back to the gas station and gathered up every bottle of water she could get and as much food as she could carry before heading back to the hardware store.

The door to the office was open and the room was empty. Cold fear shot through her as she moved inside. "No. No, no, no, no, no, no!" She took several deep breaths trying to fight down the panic that was quickly rising. How could she be so stupid, how could she have left the girls alone?

As she moved out of the office she heard a soft sound coming from near the back of the store. She moved that way her gun in hand. As she got to the back there were tall shelves reaching toward the dark ceiling. "Mommy?" a soft voice whispered as she approached.

Jeanne gasps for breath as relief overwhelmed her. She saw Emma and Eve huddled together on the top of one of the old shelves. Emma climbed down with Eve on her back. "Oh God." Jeanne said taking both the girls into her arms and hugging them close before checking each of them over for injuries.

"Mama, there were men, big men. We heard ‘em talking outside, I know you said not to leave the room, but we was scared and I didn't want ‘em to find us. I heard ‘em say they’d kill you. I heard ‘em mama. I heard ‘em, please don’t be mad, we was so scared." Emma cried as Jeanne held her.

"It's ok, it's ok baby." Jeanne got her emotions under control quickly then went back to the room and gathered up their supplies. "We need to go now. Right now. Get your pack on Emma." She said as she helped Eve into hers. She counted herself lucky that she had thought to stash their gear out of sight in a barrel on the sales floor. She tucked her gun into the back of her pants, loaded the crossbow, strapped the quiver to her thigh, and carried the crossbow in her hand. They were ready quickly and headed toward the door. She only hoped the men had left town, but she had not heard anything to indicate that they had. Cold fear was back stronger than anything else she had been feeling. "If anything happens here, you take Eve and you run. You hide and you wait for me. If I don't come you keep moving, you stay away from those dead things and people too. You find somewhere and you keep safe. You do whatever you have to to stay safe." Emma nodded as Jeanne tucked one of Daryl's knives into her pack as well as the machete and the small revolver she had inherited from her mother.

She held Eve's hand and Emma held onto Jeanne's pack as they moved down the street the opposite direction as they entered. As they did four men stepped out of the long line of shops at the end of the street. Jeanne pushed Eve behind her as she saw them.

"You done killed one a my men. Now you gonna pay." He said. Jeanne steadied herself before lifting her crossbow.

"One of your men attacked me." She said stopping several yards away.

"Way I see it, no witnesses says you killed him out right."

"I will warn you, that you do not want to mess with me and my girls. " Jeanne said hoping her voice sounded calm, she couldn't tell with the crackling of her nerves in her ears.

One of his men took a step toward them, Jeanne took aim at him. "Sugar, there are four of us, and one of you. Whatdya think yur gonna do?"

"There may be four of you now, and you might kill me, but I can tell you now, there will be fewer when this is over than there are now." The other man moved closer. "Ah ah ah an." She said eyeing him. "Call him off and let us go." She said as she reached slowly behind her for the gun.

"Well now, I might be willing to do that, but you see, there is a fee to pass, and there is the matter of my dead man." He told her.

"He comes one step closer and you're gonna have two dead men."

"Get her." The lead man said finally, tired of playing games.

Jeanne let her arrow fly and pulled her gun in the next instant, taking aim at the leader and pulling the trigger. The arrow caught the first man in the chest, and her bullet took out the leaders leg. He fell to the ground cursing and set his other two men after her. She took aim and fired catching the third man in the head, and the last one in the shoulder. He hit the ground, wailing. She took her machete back from Emma and walked over to the man closest to her. She buried the machete in his head before ripping it out and moving toward the other men. The only one still alive was the leader who was desperately trying to get up.

"Hello, sugar." Jeanne said as she approached him. "I told you not to mess with me and my girls, I told you to just let us pass." She said swinging the machete and taking out his other leg. "Now I'm not going to kill you. I think I'll let you stay right here. Someone should be along soon." Jeanne said as she motioned Eve and Emma to follow her. "You got a truck?" She asked the man on the ground. "I might be persuaded to put you out of your misery if you do."

"Please. Please, yes the keys are in it, it's right over there." He pointed. Jeanne moved slowly toward where he had pointed. There was a bright red Ford F-150 sitting next to the building.

She came back to him, lifted her gun and put a bullet in his head. "Should have listened." She said before taking the girls to the truck and getting them inside. She started the truck and smiled to see the tank was full. She pulled the truck down the street and into the gas station. "You girls stay here." She told them, before getting out leaving the truck running.

She moved into the gas station and began gathering up all the food she could get putting it into empty crates she found in the back. Then she returned to the truck and shoved it in the bed. As she rounded the hood of the truck she came face to face with one of the dead. "Fuck!" She cried as she shot it in the head and climbed into the truck. There was a large group of them coming into town. The gun fire had attracted them. They were coming from both directions twenty or thirty from either direction and out of the woods. She should have thought her actions through better, but she couldn't change it now.

She slammed the truck into gear and headed out of the gas station parking lot. She only had one option now, through.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Jeanne knew she could only go through them and hoped the truck would make it. She picked up as much speed as she could before making contact with the slow moving corpses. Eve shrieked as black ooze slicked the windshield and hood, and sent the creature cartwheeling over the roof and to the left. She hit another and another, each doing the same, the windshield wiper smearing the ooze everywhere making it hard to see.

Jeanne continued to push through. The group was large but she was making it. Finally she crushed the last one under her tires and was free of the hoard. She gasped getting her head back into what was at hand. She had to get away from there and head toward Atlanta. Eve was calmer and Emma was holding her close covering her eyes. Emma was stone faced and determined looking, while Eve cried in fear.

"Mama, I want a gun." Emma said softly a little while later. Eve was lying across her lap, Emma was playing with her hair, but her eyes were fixed out the window, her face stony.

"Emma, I'm not sure that's a good idea. You don't know how to shoot one; I couldn't stand it if you hurt yourself."

"Mama, I'm almost nine, you started shootin' guns younger ‘an me." Emma pointed out. Jeanne sighed.

"You can learn to shoot grandma's gun. We'll teach you when we find a place to light for a bit." Emma accepted that with a small nod.

Jeanne was heart sick and she had a migraine building behind her left eye. She knew she would have to stop soon or she wouldn’t be able to drive. When she got migraines they often made her vision blur, but she was afraid to stop. She was in the midst of a battle with herself about stopping when she came to a car sitting stranded on the side of the road. There was a woman sitting inside and three dead creatures around her.

At first Jeanne was going to keep going, but as she began to maneuver to pull around her the woman made eye contact with Jeanne, and the message in her eyes was clear. 'Help me, please.' Jeanne took a deep breath and told the girls to get in the back seat of the truck, then she rolled down the window and shot the first one in the head, before swinging the truck back and hitting the another one.

Jeanne motioned for the woman to get out of her car as she threw open the passenger side door. The woman moved quickly grabbing a bag and a bat out of the back seat of her car and climbing into the truck as quickly as she could, slamming the door just as the last of the dead rounded the woman's car.

"Gosh thanks." The woman said softly as Jeanne headed away from the car and the last of the moving corpses. "I'm Ginger." She said with a smile.

"Jeanne." She answered. "What happened to your car?"

"Ran out of gas about sixteen miles ago, been walking since, got attacked by those Grabbers. I ducked in that car and got stuck. One or two I can handle but three is too many. I had hoped they would just go away after a while, but it was like they could smell that I was alive."

"Wow…Grabbers?" Jeanne asked, glancing in the rearview mirror.

"Oh yeah. It's what my fiancé called them. He liked it better then zombies." Ginger looked stricken for a moment, then it passed and she went quiet again.

"Zombies?!" Jeanne asked, surprised. She had never thought it through that far. Everyone had heard of zombies, but to actually have them walking around, it was a little unbelievable.

"Well yeah, they die, they come back, they eat the living, I'd say that sums up a zombie."

"Mommy, I have to go potty." Eve said softly from the back.

Ginger jumped, almost screaming, startled then turned around in her seat to see both Eve and Emma hunkered down in the back seat. "Well hello." She said to the girls.

"Hello." They both answered in unison.

Jeanne searched the side of the road before pulling off and putting the truck in park. She opened the door, grabbed her gun, got out, and pulled Eve out, with the engine running she stood next to the truck and let Eve squat down. Once she was finished she put her back in the truck and climbed back in, tucking her gun back down next to her.

"Where are you girls headed?" Ginger asked eyeing the gun Jeanne tucked down next to her.

"Atlanta." Jeanne said.

"You're goin' to Atlanta? Are you crazy woman?"

"What's wrong with Atlanta?"

"It's over run, I just came from there, last I heard they were droppin bombs on it, the city was on fire as far as I know. Talked to a woman what lost her son and her husband in it not last week, before…well before when there were six of us, before it was just me." Jeanne suddenly felt her world spin out of control and had to slam on the brakes. "Honey, if you don't mind me joinin’ your little group, I would make the suggestion we find some place to hold up for a while, at least until this thing settles down. I mean the government will get this under control. It won't take them a month, I'm sure they already have people moving on this, it's just takin em some time to organize is all."

"Ginger, I don't know what's going on, but I have two little girls to think about. If Atlanta is gone, like you say it is, then pardon my French, but we are fucked. There is no help coming, and finding a place to hunker down might not be the best plan, it might be our only plan. If you want to join our 'group', join away, but I have no idea how long we will be a group."

Ginger nodded. "You got supplies, I got a few too. We find a place to hunker down, we find what we need to survive, we live for now, takin’ it one day at a time."

"I wanna keep heading toward Atlanta. I got a feeling about it, you wanna come you can, but you don't I'll let you out now." Ginger nodded.

"As long as ya aren't goin’ into Atlanta, I'll come with ya." Jeanne nodded, then groaned softly and rubbed at her temple. "You want me ta drive a while? I don't mind."

"No, we should find a place to lay low for the night." Jeanne said watching as the sun lowered toward the horizon. Ginger nodded but said nothing as Jeanne slowed down and looked for a protected place between trees on the side of the road.

She turned onto the next road she came to and followed it down until she saw a large house sitting back from the road. She turned down the driveway, moving slowly watching for any movement. There was none. As she approached the house there were no cars, no signs of life of any kind, no animals; the house seemed completely deserted. The house sat on a hill overlooking the road, but blocked from view by trees. It was an old southern antebellum house with wide sweeping porches and balconies, all covered. A grand staircase leading up to the porch had leaves piled up on them. The shrubs in the front yard were all becoming overgrown and the grass was at least ankle height. Someone had been taking minimal care of the place, but no one lived there, at least not for a while by the looks of the outside.

Jeanne parked the truck and grabbed her gun. "Stay here with the girls. If there's trouble blow the horn." She told Ginger as she reached into the back of the truck and grabbed her machete and crossbow and bolts, then tucked the gun into the back of her jeans and strapped the quiver to her thigh, before heading toward the front door, loading the crossbow as she went.

She kept her ears open as she moved into the house. It was unlocked but looked undisturbed. She moved slowly through the lower floor of the house, her crossbow at the ready, she moved from the front foyer and around, she worked her way through the house, checking each room, each closet, and each alcove. Once she had checked everywhere, she moved to the upper floor. All the furniture was covered in white cloth and there was a thick layer of dust on the floor. As she cleared each room her heart began to rise.

As she was heading back toward the grand staircase her heart leapt to her throat when she heard the blare of the horn from the truck. She bolted down the stairs and out the front door in time to see four walkers converging on the truck and six more coming out of the woods around the perimeter of the house.

Jeanne gasped softly and loosed the bolt from her crossbow. It hit its mark and sent the first tumbling to the ground. She loaded and loosed another arrow catching another where the skull met the neck. One of the dead turned then and headed toward her as she loaded a third arrow and took aim. She only had four more arrows; she had no desire to fire the gun for fear of attracting more of them. She loosed the third arrow and loaded a fourth. She was grabbing the machete that hung at her waist and headed toward the hoard around the truck, loosing the fourth arrow, then loading the fifth as she approached stopping briefly to lock the bolt. She fired that arrow across the hood of the truck as she buried the machete in the sixth one's brain and jerked it free. Four more remained and she loaded the last arrow before firing it at the one coming at her. One of the three left grabbed her from behind, she jerked quickly but did not dodge the bit that glanced her neck. She jammed the machete backward over her shoulder and through its brain as the last two came toward her.

She kicked the first one down, ripping out the machete, before stomping the one on the grounds head in, and cutting the last one's head off. She jerked the truck door open and looked in at Ginger. "Get the girls inside." She said before slamming the door and going to retrieve her arrows. Then she grabbed the packs from the back of the truck and headed inside, looking over her shoulder the whole way.

That night Jeanne slept in a bed for the first night in over four weeks. She had taken one of the upper bedrooms; Eve and Emma were sleeping in the bedroom next to hers. She and Ginger had done all they could to secure the bottom floor, but ended up blocking up the two stairways with chairs and tables. She had not gotten to sleep easily and only after Ginger had come to tell her she was going to sit up in the hall and keep watch.

Jeanne wondered at how short a time it had taken her to trust Ginger. She hoped it would hold. She would hate to have to kill the woman; it would be easier if Ginger was around. She wouldn't be alone, and if anything happened to her, there would be someone to take care of the girls. At least she hoped Ginger would take care of the girls, she had no way of knowing that she would. Hell the next morning she could wake up to find the woman run off with the truck in the middle of the night. That thought struck her, but after over forty-eight hours with little to no sleep, she couldn't be bothered at that moment, she had been run off on before, she would survive that too, she thought as sleep over took her.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The sun was bright over head as it sifted through the trees, dappling the forest floor. Twigs snapped softly to her left, she ducked behind a tree and pressing against the bark. She could hear it coming closer, shuffling through the leaves, slow and steady. It stopped every now and then as if sniffing the air.

She ducked moving again, but it spotted her, and started to run, moving quickly it darted to the right just ahead of her and caught her around the waist. "There you are." He said softly crushing her mouth under his. She kissed him back hard, pressing him backward, walking him back until he was pressed up against a tree. Taking his crossbow she dropped it next to them running her hands down his chest. When she reached his belt she pulled it loose and then went for his button and zip, never breaking the kiss.

His hands were all over her, in her hair, on her shoulders, then her hips. Suddenly she was being lifted by the thighs and turned around. Daryl was all she could see as he pushed her sundress up, her booted feet wrapping around his waist as she leaned back against the tree. She buried her fingers in his hair, kissing him hard. "I love you." She whispered softly as she broke the kiss and reached between them.

His hands moved up her thighs toward her core, moving to tug at her panties. Suddenly he was there; inside her and their joining was hot and fast, and furious, biting and scratching, kissing and moaning. It never lasted long enough, them together, the heat, the passion, the need. They collapsed in a pile beneath the tree, still joined together, still entwined.

Jeanne woke grasping for Daryl, then not finding him came fully awake. She was lost for a moment, unsure of her surroundings; the sun was shining in the window across cream damask, with hanging lace, and a rocking chair with a lace embroidered pillow. Shaking her head she remembered where she was. "Justa dream Jean, get it together. Get moving."

She was achy and a little feverish from the scratch on her neck. She grabbed her gun off the bedside table and went to her bag to dig out a change of clothes and the first aid kit. She cleaned the wound then changed clothes and headed toward the girls room. She pushed open the door and froze. The room was empty. A spike of fear shot through her as she moved toward the servant's stairs.

Her pulse steadied when she heard Emma in the kitchen with Eve. She slowly descended the stairs into the kitchen and smiled. Emma and Eve were at the kitchen island eating oatmeal, and Ginger was leaning against the counter drinking coffee. Jeanne moved toward the girls, kissing each on top of the head. "Good morning." She said softly.

"Morning mama." Emma said, then went back to her oatmeal.

"Mommy, mommy, Miss Ginger made us opmeal!" Eve said excitedly.

"I see." Jeanne said looking over at Ginger.

"Got some coffee too if you want." She said offering her a cup.

"Coffee? God yes!" she said taking the proffered cup. Then she took a drink of the hot black liquid and sighed. "Oh that's amazing. I didn't think I'd ever get another cup."

"This place is pretty well stocked. Lots of canned food in the pantry, gas is still on, the wells are piped to the house, and seems clean. I think this was a summer home or something, because it looks like who ever owned it just stepped out and would be right back, I mean except the covers on the furniture. I think we could stay here for a while, and if the water heater runs on gas…" Ginger trailed off Jeanne met her eyes and smiled.

"Hot showers?" Ginger nodded. "Ok. Will you stay with the girls while I go out and try to board up the windows? I mean if you don't mind?"

"It's not a problem. They got up this morning before you did, and I figured you could use the sleep. I like 'em, they're good girls. You go do what ya gotta; I'll stay with 'em, you need me you come get me. Or hollar." Jeanne nodded placed her cup on the counter and headed toward the foyer. She grabbed her crossbow and quiver and strapped the quiver to her thigh, then took the machete off the hook next to the door and hooked it to her belt. Then she stepped out the front door onto the porch.

The sun was shining warm and bright and she was wondering how long it would hold out before rain threatened. Her dream was still bothering her and she couldn't seem to shake it. How could she love him so much and hate him all the same? How could she feel so strongly about someone both ways and not be pulled apart? She shook her head; she couldn't think about it, she had other things to take care of. Just like always.

She moved down the stairs of the front porch and into the yard. There were a few out buildings around the perimeter of the property she wanted to check. She hoped the barn was empty and could be used as a secondary retreat, or possibly as a place to hide the truck. She didn't want to draw any more attention than they had to. As she moved around to the shed and the barn she kept checking the tree line. There was a grouping of trees behind the house that looked like peach, pear, and plum trees, as well as some walnut and pecan trees. About fifty trees in all spread out to make an orchard. If they did stay they might be able to get fruit off the trees.

She checked the shed first, then the barn, they were both empty except for some old plywood, a few tools, and one very angry opossum. She would pull the truck into the barn after she got the plywood up to the house. She began to lug it out of the barn and toward the house; it was awkward for one person.

By the time she had three of the sheets of plywood up on the porch she was coated in sweat, and so achy she had to sit down. Ginger came out on the porch and offered her a glass of water. "You alright? You don't look good at all."

"I'm fine. Just not feeling well is all. This happened last time."

Ginger raised an eyebrow. "Last time what?" Then she noticed the scratch on Jeanne's neck. "You got scratched last night. I thought you were awful close. That thing got you. Jeanne you're gonna turn into one of those things."

"Ginger calm down, I'm not going to turn into one of them." Jeanne took a deep breath trying to steady her world.

"You got bit, that's how it works, they bite ya, they scratch ya, you die, then you come back and eat people, I saw it happen."

"Listen to me, will ya? I am not going to turn. When this whole thing started I got bit on the wrist by one of those things, a girl I worked with got bit by the same guy. She turned, I didn't. I ran a fever, I hurt, but I get better." Jeanne was studying Ginger's face. "If it makes you feel better, I stop breathing, I die, you put a bullet in my brain. I don't want to come back and hurt my kids. Those little girls are all I got, but I'm all they got too. So I die, you can put me down, but as long as I'm breathing, you act like nothing is wrong. If I die, those little girls in there, they got nothing. They are alone in this world, I die, they die. And I'm not going to let that happen."

Ginger stared at Jeanne for a long time. "You stop breathing, I will put a bullet in your brain, but those little girls won't be alone. I'll take care of them. I had a little girl, she died before all this, thank god, but I miss her. Emma reminds me of her a lot. Anything happens to you I won't let any harm come to your girls." Jeanne nodded and stuck her hand out. Ginger took it and shook.

"Where are the girls?"

"Emma's reading a book she found in the library, and Eve is coloring, we found some coloring books and some crayons in a box in the room they picked. You gonna do that the easy way?" She asked nodding toward the plywood.

"What do you mean?"

"I was thinking we could just board up the stairs. It would be nice to be able to use the porch."

"Sure. Help me up, we gotta get this done. We should move the truck into the barn, and maybe put some food in there too. The loft in the barn might be a good fall back location if anything happens here at the house." Ginger nodded, stood, and offered Jeanne her hand.

An hour later found the stairs on both the front and back porch boarded up, the truck in the barn with a few supplies, and lunch on the table. Jeanne found it easier to live that way, with someone else to help her. She didn't worry about the girls as much with Ginger around, plus it helped that she was beginning to form a friendship with the other woman.

That night everyone got a hot shower and a hot meal. Ginger even found several bottles of wine in the cellar. It had been a good day. They hadn't seen any of the dead, and for a moment they could pretend they were just on vacation. Once the girls were in bed Jeanne and Ginger took seats on sofas in the drawing room and Ginger popped open a bottle of white wine, pouring each of them a glass. 

Ginger handed Jeanne the glass and smiled. “I don’t know if you like white wine, but I’m rather partial. My fiance’s family owned a winery, ya know, before.” Ginger looked into her wine sadly, her thoughts caught up in the past. Jeanne took a sip. She wasn’t a big drinker, she never wanted to be like her or Daryl’s daddy. She took another swig, then as Ginger met her eyes she smiled.

“I don’t hate it.” Jeanne said as she drained her glass and offered it for a refill. Ginger drained her glass as well and poured them both another. They drank the second glass more slowly talking a bit as they did. The more they drank, the more they talked and opened up to one another.

“I met him at the racetrack. I worked in the bar serving drinks, putting myself through nursing school. He’d just lost every penny he had on some horse. He ordered several drinks, then invited me out to dinner. He was drunk and I told him no. He left and I assumed that was the end of it. But he was back the next day, with the same story. This time he ordered a drink and nursed it ‘til the end of my shift. He was really handsome, but he kind of creeped me out. I had him escorted from the building.” Ginger smiled. “He wasn’t upset and came back the next day to apologize. He said he understood if I didn’t want to go out with him, but that he had a reservation at a rather fancy restaurant nearby and if I wanted to have dinner with him, he’d be there at 8pm.” Ginger looked into her glass, a secret smile on her face. “I don’t know what I was thinking but I met him there and things took off from there. We were engaged shortly after that. I loved him so much. We never tied the knot, Sara got sick right after we got engaged, he was with me through the whole ordeal, never left my side, took care of us both. When she died, my entire world crumbled. We were just getting our lives back on track when all this shit happened.” Ginger said finishing her fourth glass of wine, and poured a fifth. They had moved on to a deep red wine by now. Jeanne also finished hers and offered her glass to be filled. “What about you?” Ginger asked. She and Jeanne had moved to the floor in front of one of the large sofa’s their backs pressed up against it. 

Jeanne looked at Ginger. “I don’t know what there’s to say really. I got two little girls, both their daddies ran out on ‘em. Left me all alone to do the raisin’. I done the best I could. But oh…” Jeanne sighed looking at her hands and the wine in her glass. She took a long sip, swallowing hard. “Daryl and me, we got a long history, come from the same place. Cut from similar cloth. His daddy and mine were both no good drunks. They’d beat us. Or just pass out. I went to live with Daryl when I was eight, his daddy took me in. I thought we’d be forever, but his brother took him on wild adventures. I guess he just forgot about me after a while. He’s never seen Eve, doesn’t even know she exists. Hell he could be dead for all I know. Coulda been dead this whole time, thing is Ginger, the thing is,” She said tossing back most of her wine and looking into Ginger’s impossibly brown eyes. “I don’t even know if I'd be happy if I found him. I’ve been grieving him for so long I don’t know what I’d feel if I found out he was alive.” Ginger reached out and touched her shoulder. Jeanne shook her head and downed the rest of her wine. Then offered her glass. Ginger poured big, sloshing some of the wine onto Jeanne’s fingers.

“Whoops” Ginger said softly taking Jeanne’s hand in hers. Jeanne leaned into her slightly, her head swimming a little. She wasn’t sure if it was all the wine or the fever, but Ginger looked incredibly beautiful in the soft lantern light. Jeanne had never found herself attracted to a woman before. She had never really had a girl friend before. She had been a loner. Ginger slowly raised Jeanne’s fingers to her mouth and licked them dry. Jeanne shivered as Ginger continued to hold her hand. Jeanne slowly leaned forward, brushing her lips against Ginger’s. Ginger responded in kind kissing her back.

Then as if a sudden explosion occurred, Ginger and Jeanne were furiously kissing and pulling at one another's clothes. Jeanne moved from Ginger’s mouth to her neck and lower to her small pert breast and Ginger fumbled with Jeanne’s zipper. “I’ve never done this before.” Jeanne breathed out as Ginger broke free of her and pulled her jeans off, then quickly shimmied out of her own. 

“I haven’t since college.” Ginger said giving Jeanne a wink, before coming close and kissing her mouth again, pushing Jeanne back slowly, “Just relax.” Ginger said with a laugh, kissing down Jeanne’s neck and shoulder, then lower, to her breast. She ranged kissed across her belly and hips until she got to Jeanne’s panties, which she quickly pulled down. Jeanne gasped softly tilting her head back as Ginger ran her hands down Jeanne’s body. Then lowering her head between Jeanne’s thighs she began to kiss and lick her inner thighs until she reached her hot center. 

Jeanne could feel Ginger’s hot breath on her, then everything faded into a blur of pleasure as Ginger’s tongue darted out and into her. She moaned softly as Ginger worked her into a frenzy. Jeanne reached down and buried her fingers in Ginger’s soft brown curls as she arched her back and let out a guttural moan calling our Ginger's name.

Ginger slid up the length of Jeanne's body. "It's ok baby." She said softly, panting a little, then kissed Jeanne. Jeanne wrapped her arms around Ginger still breathing hard. "You ok?" Ginger asked. Jeanne nodded kissing her again. She could taste herself on Ginger's mouth and smiled, moving to slide down Ginger's body.

"My turn." She said with a little smile. "Wish me luck." Jeanne said lowering her head to Ginger's thighs. 

Ginger put a hand on her head gently, "you don't have to." Ginger whispered. 

"After that?" Jeanne asked rolling her eyes, "I think I'm contractually obligated." And with that Jeanne moved between Ginger's thighs again.

Jeanne wondered, as she slipped into bed that night, how long it would last. How long could it last? Would they be safe here? They had food, for now. Water, shelter, the gas to cook with, eventually that would all run out, but for now, they were safe. She lay there awake for a long time thinking about it. Thinking about Ginger, and their night together. They could stay there; they could stay there for a while at least, how long was only a guess.

She rolled over and closed her eyes. She would tell Ginger in the morning. They could stay there. They could make a life there.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Nine months later

"Mama, I'm tired of corn." Emma said softly as the group sat down to dinner.

"Emma, eat. This is what we have and we should be thankful to God we have it." Jeanne told the little girl. She too was tired of canned corn and noodles. She had grown up cooking whatever she could get her hands on. Ginger was a wiz in the kitchen, but even she had run out of ideas for the canned corn, ramen noodles and rice that were the main staples of the family who had owned the house before the plague. Jeanne smiled thinking about all the times the boys had complained about her cooking, it was edible…not great but edible. Daryl had walked into town a few times to steal something to eat from the gas station, she hadn't thought it was so bad, but both boys had left the house rather than eat skunk. They would have killed to have Ginger around.

"I'm sorry." Ginger said as she sat down between Jeanne and Eve. "We're down to corn, rice, noodles, and beans." Jeanne smiled leaning into Ginger a little. They had grown so close over the past nine months. She couldn't see herself without Ginger.

"It's ok. I'll go hunting tomorrow. Will you watch the girls?" Ginger nodded then tasted what she had made. 

"It's not so bad." She said with a half smile.

"That's what mama used to say when she cooked somethin' awful." Emma said doubtfully.

"Emma!" Jeanne said, a tone of warning in her voice. "You apologize and eat. Or you can go to bed without." Emma nodded.

"Yes, Mama. I'm sorry Miss Ginger." Ginger nodded as if to say ‘It’s ok’, then went back to her dinner, as Emma began to eat.

"Yummy, yummy." Eve said dreamily as she awkwardly used the fork, that was too big for her little hands, to eat.

Jeanne and Ginger bother laughed. "I think someone likes your cooking." Jeanne said as she shook her head. 

"Evie here always likes noodles." Ginger said stroking the little girl's hair and smiling. "Don't ya Eve?" The little girl giggled with delight and shoved a messy forkful into her mouth. 

After dinner the girls got a bath in water warmed over the fireplace, and the women settled down with them in the front living room, pushing the furniture closer to the fire. Over the last eight months the temperature had dropped and stayed low. It was a small relief when Jeanne noticed that the dead didn't seem to move as much when it was that cold. She saw fewer of them on days when there was frost than on days when it was a little warmer; though she couldn't be sure, because she had only seen ten or twelve since they had moved into the house. Jeanne had been bitten another two times, and she still had not changed. She was sure by now that she was immune, so she took the chore of dealing with the dead when they came around.

She and Ginger had strung up fishing line with cans around the tree line at the perimeter of the property. It had been useful as an early warning system for them. The gas had run out the month before, but Jeanne and Ginger had been cutting and piling firewood on the front and back porch for the six months before that. They really did have a good life there, in that old Antebellum home. But some nights, her mind drifted back to Daryl. She wondered if he was alive, wondered if he was safe, and wondered if he was thinking of her if he was. For all she knew he might be dead or worse one of those things. She prayed to God he wasn't. Often when she began to think of him too much Ginger would take her hand and pulled her back to the present. It was a small relief, knowing she had a partner again.

The next morning she got up early. Ginger was already awake and in the kitchen cooking rice and powdered eggs. She looked up when Jeanne came in.

"Be careful out there." Ginger said watching her as she shrugged into Daryl's heavy hunting jacket, the same one Jeanne had taken from home so many months ago, and tucked a canteen and a folded tarp into the inside pockets, as well as a flint and her pocket knife. She strapped the quiver to her thigh and grabbed the crossbow, her machete, and the rifle. She walked over to Ginger, glanced toward the living room, then bent to kiss her.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. Take care of them for me? Ok?" Jeanne said. Ginger nodded smiling, then kissed Jeanne again, before she nodded and left.

She walked out to the barn and got in the truck. 'Half a tank.' She thought as she started it and pulled out of the barn and toward the road. She would drive a half mile down the road, then move into the woods and try to track down something edible. She was hoping for deer, but she'd take anything she could get.

The sun was just breaking the horizon when she pulled the truck between two thick copses. She hopped out grabbed the rifle and the crossbow and headed into the woods. She listened for any sign of the dead, or animals, or anything else. She scanned looking for signs of deer. When she found what she was looking for, she climbed a tree and waited.

She was surprised when twenty minutes later a huge buck walked out between two of the trees. He looked cautious, sniffing the air and pawing the ground. Jeanne moved slowly raising the crossbow. She took aim and fired, catching the deer right behind the shoulder. He bounced then darted back into the woods.

Jeanne was so excited, she was shaking and sweating. She had hit him, he was dead. She climbed down from the tree and went into the woods after him. She didn't have to track him far before she found the buck. He was big; she hoped she could drag him out. She pulled the tarp out of her jacket pocket and unfolded it, then with great effort, rolled the deer onto the tarp and began to drag him out of the woods toward the truck. It took her longer to get him out of the woods than she'd expected, he was big and she'd had to stop often to listen, the sun was burning bright over head by the time she reached the truck with her kill. Her second obstacle was getting him into the truck. She cursed herself for not thinking that part through. She usually had Ginger with her to help.

She climbed into the back of the truck and tried pulling the deer up behind her. She knew she couldn't leave it behind, but she also couldn't get it into the truck. She sighed and took out her hunting knife. She quickly slit its belly and removed as much of its insides as she could. She hated doing it out in the open where she was unprotected and the smell would bring predators. Once the guts were removed she climbed back into the truck and again tried to pull the deer up behind her.

She jumped and turned when she heard rustling to her left. She calmed when she saw the thing stager out of the woods. It must have been attracted to the noise she was making. She lifted the crossbow and fired. She missed the first shot and reloaded, taking aim again. The second bolt caught the woman in the neck.

Jeanne jumped out of the truck, crying out when she landed hard and rolled her ankle. The woman was on her quickly, but Jeanne had her machete off her belt and through the woman's skull before she could get her teeth into Jeanne. She struggled to her feet and hobbled over to the deer. She tried tying the tarp so that it was like a sling then climbed awkwardly up into the back of the truck. She continued to try to haul the deer up into the bed of the truck. Each time she tugged her ankle would scream in pain. The last time she tried, she heard a loud pop and her foot went out from under her. But not before the deer came flying up and landing on top of her, knocking the breath from her chest.

Jeanne lay there for several minutes trying to catch her breath, as well as letting the pain ease. Once she could breathe again, she pushed the deer off of her and slowly moved toward the tail gate. She eased herself down, then using the truck as support closed the tailgate and moved to the driver side and into the truck.

The sun was beginning to drop low in the sky by the time she got the truck started and pulled out of the copses. Her ankle was throbbing and she was sure it was broken. As she drove back to the house she was glad she decided to take the truck, there was no way she would have made it back to the house dragging the deer.

When she reached the house, Ginger was in the yard, shading her eyes with her hand. She rushed to meet Jeanne when she pulled up.

"What happened to you? Are you alright? I was so worried." She stopped abruptly when she saw the amount of blood on Jeanne. "Oh God Jeanne what happened, were you bit? Are you alright?"

"Yes Ginger, I'm alright, well not exactly alright, help me out." Jeanne said as she slid from the truck and with Ginger's help hobbled up the stairs and into the house.

"Oh my gawd." Ginger said after she got Jeanne on the sofa and her shoe off.

"What's wrong with mama? Are you gonna die?" Emma asked coming closer. "Oh gosh mama, what happened to your ankle? Are you ok? There’s so much blood!"

"Emma go up to my room and get my pack, I need the first aid kit and a clean shirt. I’m ok. Ginger will you go make sure the front porch stairs are blocked? I can handle my ankle. That deer though, it won't keep, I gotta get this ankle wrapped so I can get out there and get it skinned and butchered."

"No you don't that ankle looks awful. I'll tend to the deer, you just stay put and clean up." Ginger said going back to the kitchen and grabbing a bowl of water and a towel for Jeanne.

"Ginger, you can't take care of that thing on your own, it must weigh a hundred and sixty pounds. I can't believe I got it in the truck on my own."

"Emma can help me. She knows how to shoot if need be." Ginger said as Emma came back in at a dead run with Jeanne's first aid kit and a shirt.

"Yeah mama, I can help Miss Ginger."

Jeanne striped off her bloody shirt and put it in Ginger’s waiting hand, then took the first aid kit and opened it on her lap. "Where is Evie?" Jeanne asked suddenly.

"Up in our room, she was coloring last time I saw her." Emma said rocking nervously.

"Go up and get her, bring her down here, and then you go out and help Ginger. But if you see one of those things, you both get back in here, no questions. I don't want you firing that gun."

"Yes ma'am." Emma said as she bounded out of the room and up the stairs.

"Ginger would you help?" Jeanne asked as she dug through the first aid kit. "I think it's broken, I need you to set it, and wrap it."

"Thank goodness you saved a nurse, huh?" Ginger asked as she took the roll of gauze from Jeanne, then just looked at her for a minute. "I was really scared today." She said looking up at Jeanne, then grabbed the ice pack and ankle bandage from the first aid kit. Ginger popped the ice pack then using the gauze, wrapped it around Jeanne's ankle. "I can’t tell anything with the swelling, sit with the ice pack on it for now, I'm going to go get the deer out of the truck, you sit here a while and holler if you need me, or send Eve out."

"Just be careful." Jeanne said as she leaned back on the sofa the cold from the ice pack sending shots of pain up her leg and into her back.

"Mommy?" Eve said as she came into the parlor and sat down next to Jeanne, her eyes wide with fear. "You ok? How you hurt your foot?" Her face pale, but expectant. 

"I fell out of the truck baby." Jeanne answered. "Emma go help Ginger." Emma nodded and headed for the door, Ginger on her heels.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Emma and Ginger drug the deer out of the truck, got it hung, and skinned. It took both of them doing all they could to get it strung up, but once it was hung, Ginger was quick to get the creature skinned and the butchering started. Emma did as she was asked and carried pieces of the deer inside so that Ginger could work with them and get them preserved.

It took them nearly five hours but they got the deer broken down into manageable pieces, then Ginger buried the carcass. Emma went inside to check on Eve and Jeanne.

Eve was on the floor next to the sofa and Jeanne was lying on her back her arm over her eyes, her ankle propped up. "We got the deer taken care of mama."

"Alright baby." Jeanne said as she shifted to get up, tried and collapsed back onto the sofa with a curse.

"Mommy?" Eve said softly, looking up from her coloring then getting up and running over to Jeanne.

"Mama!" Emma said grabbing for her as she stepped closer, then dropped to her knees beside the sofa.

"Go get Ginger." Jeanne said to Emma, her voice strained.

"I'm right here." Ginger said coming over and pushing Emma gently out of the way. She lifted Jeanne's foot and softly prodded.

"Fucking hell!" Jeanne cried and Ginger slowly lowered her foot to the floor.

"I don't think it's broken. Either way, you should stay put for a while. We'll finish gettin’ that deer taken care of, dry it, can it, cook it, we should be ok for a while now." Ginger nodded. "You just take it easy." Jeanne shook her head and tried to get up again.

"You shouldn't have to do this alone. Did ya make sure the front stairs were barricaded? I want to help." Jeanne said trying again to get up. Ginger nodded.

"Honey it's all taken care of. Besides I'm not alone I got Emma to help me. I'm gonna go start fixin' that deer and some dinner. You holler if you need me. Emma, you're with me." Emma nodded and followed after Ginger.

Jeanne sat staring at her ankle and the floor, then smiled when Eve came and wiggled into her lap. "Mommy, is gonna be otay."

Jeanne stroked Eve's head softly then smiled. "Do you like it here Evie?" Jeanne asked as she studied the little girl.

"I rike it mommy. I rike it a rot."

"I'm glad." Jeanne said wrapping her arms around the little girl and laying back with her, then rolling so her back was against the sofa and Eve was laying in front of her on the wide cushions. Eve lay still for a while as Jeanne stroked her hair.

"Mommy, what was Daddy rike?" The little girls question caught Jeanne off guard.

"Well baby, he was taller than mommy, he had big hands, and blue eyes. Eyes you could get lost in. He used to look at mommy sometimes when she was scared and she wouldn't feel scared anymore. He could hit a deer from far away, and he was strong enough to string it up by himself. He was a tough man. But kind." Eve was watching Jeanne, her blue eyes fixed on her face, she reached up and took Jeanne’s face between her small hands. "You look a lot like your daddy. He was a good man. He took care of me, he was always there, he never did the things his daddy or mine did, I loved him." Eve nodded, squeezing Jeanne’s cheeks a little then letting go to play with the loose strands of hair around Jeanne’s face.

"Mommy, will I ever see daddy?" Jeanne didn't know how to answer that question.

"I…I don't know."

"Dinner's ready." Ginger said coming in and moving to pull Jeanne's arm over her shoulder and get her up and to the table. "I made deer and corn pie." Ginger said softly. "I hope it's alright."

"Ginger it will be divine." Jeanne assured her.

Another three months passed. The weather began to warm and Jeanne's ankle healed. Their food supply was almost gone and the dead had become a serious problem again. Jeanne had taken down seven in one day.

"I think it's time to move on." Jeanne told Ginger that night at dinner. "Our food is almost gone, the winter is over, and the dead keep coming. We should pack up tomorrow or the next day and head out."

"Where will we go?" Ginger asked.

"I was thinking we could head west. Maybe things are better that way. Or maybe we can find other people, people like us. I figure the Rockies are a good place to hold these things at bay, maybe on the other side there is a camp or something. Or maybe if we can get north enough these things will freeze. Or we could head to the coast and up, there’s no telling what it all looks like out there. I just know we need to get out of here."

"I agree. I just don't know where we'll go, or how we're gittin’ there. How much gas we got?" Ginger asked as she studied the map Jeanne had laid across the kitchen counter.

"Not much, about a half tank, a little less. Enough to find a gas station, if it idn't over run." Ginger nodded and sighed.

Later that night everyone was bedding down in the living room, as had become ritual since the cold weather had driven them to the fireplace several months before. "Mommy I'm hungry." Eve said softly as she snuggled down next to Ginger.

"I know baby, I'm sorry." Jeanne said looking at Ginger. "We gotta get outta here." Ginger nodded again.

The next day Ginger and Jeanne worked on packing everything into the truck, they packed everything they thought they might need. It didn't take long. The girls said goodbye to their home of over a year and climbed into the truck. Jeanne started it and headed for the road. They would head west, as far west as they could get.

Unfortunately their truck had other plans. As they were rounding a curve in the road a group of the dead were stumbling across. Jeanne tried to swerve to miss them and ended up head first down a hill, then slid sideways into a tree.

She, Ginger, and the girls were able to get out of the truck, but had to leave most of their gear behind. Jeanne was able to rescue her crossbow, quiver, machete, and Daryl's revolver and their packs. From there they walked.

It was getting dark when they came upon a sign "West Central Prison. Do not pick up hitchhikers." A cold chill ran down Jeanne's spine, but they continued to walk. As they approached the prison they could see several of the dead crowding the fence. They seemed to sense that there were living people around because they all turned and headed right toward Jeanne, Ginger, and the children.

"Ginger you better use this." Jeanne told her shoving the revolver into Ginger's hand. In the next instant she swung the cross bow up and fired into one of the dead things heads. Ginger took aim and fired catching another through the eye. Which gave Jeanne enough time to reload and fire again as they made their way toward the prison gate. "Give me the blanket out of your pack." She told Emma as they reached the gate. Taking it she tossed it up and over the razor wire, as the dead approached them. "Emma you first, up and over. Go!" She told her as Emma began to climb. "Now you Eve, follow Emma, do just like she did. Good girl. Ginger, get going. I'll hold them off." She said as she loaded another bolt. "Get over and cover me through the gate. Emma you help her." She called as she fired another bolt, and Emma puller the small pistol out of her pack and took aim at what used to be a woman that was getting too close to her mother, she caught it through the left eye and it dropped. Ginger climbed over the fence with amazing speed, then waited for Jeanne to come over as well, shooting at any of the dead who got close. She was almost out of their reach when a tall man grabbed her and pulled her down, she let out a blood curdling scream as she fell into the group of them. She kicked and thrashed knocking them off of her, trying to struggle up. One of them bit her shoulder and another bit her leg. Just as she was losing hope of escape she heard gun shots that sounded too far away to be Ginger. She was suddenly able to free herself of the dead and climb over the fence.

Ginger helped her toward the inner yard as a young boy came running out. "Please." Ginger begged. "Please help us."

"She's been bit." The boy said pointing to Jeanne. He lifted his gun and took aim at her head.

"Please, wait. She won't turn. I swear she won't turn. Please, help us."

"I won't turn." Jeanne said pushing Emma and Eve behind her. "If you don't believe me that's fine, I'll stay out here as long as you want, but please, let my kids in, please, I'm begging you." The boy seemed to consider this for a long time.

"You been bit?" He asked Ginger.

"No, please. None of us have except Jeanne, but she won't die, she won't turn. She just gets a fever, then she gets better. She's been bit before. Please, let us in." The boy nodded once, then unlocked the inner gate. The four of them hurried in and followed the boy as quickly as possible as he lead them into a holding area locking the door behind him. Then he went over to another door and went inside, locking that one behind him.

"You'll be safe in there. Nothing can get to you." The boy said then moved away.

"Hey!" Ginger called going over to the door. "Please, can we have some water? Do you have any bandages?"

"Yeah." The boy answered as an older man came toward the door.

"She's been bitten?" He asked, nodding toward Jeanne.

"Yes Sir." Ginger answered as the boy came back and handed water through the door. "If she turns I'll kill her, but she won't."

"You sure about that?" the older man asked. Ginger nodded.

"Thank ya'll for letting us in. We woulda died out there." Ginger said as the little girls crowded around their mother.

"Mama, I'm hungry." Emma said softly as Jeanne took a seat at one of the tables.

"I know baby, but we just have to wait for now. Ask Miss Ginger for some water."

"Carl, can we git these girls some food?" the man asked the boy. He nodded and went to find something.

The boy came back and passed some crackers through the door. "Thank you." Ginger said as she took them from him and went to sit with Jeanne and the girls.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Jeanne woke with a pounding headache and a ringing in her ears. She was feeling dizzy and unsteady on her feet. "Ginger." She said weakly.

Ginger came over and knelt next to her. "Yeah baby, what's wrong?"

Jeanne's mouth was dry and her voice cracked a she spoke. "The Tylenol in my bag, I need some." Ginger nodded and moved to Jeanne's bag and fished out the small white bottle, shook two pills out and brought them back with a bottle of water, then helping Jeanne sit up, she shoved the pills in Jeanne's mouth and held the bottle to her lips.

"The fevers worse this time." Ginger said watching Jeanne.

"It's not so bad, just haven't been drinking anything." Jeanne told her as Ginger handed her the bottle and she drank again, leaning back against the wall.

Suddenly there was a scream and the boy, Carl, was moving quickly through the room they occupied and out. Jeanne sat still, listening. Several minutes passed before she heard shots fired. Almost fifteen minutes passed before Carl came trotting back five people behind him, one of them a woman that they were carrying.

"Girls come here." Jeanne said reaching for the girls who had been cuddled together on the opposite side of the room reading a book. The girls looked up to see the newcomers and hurried toward their mother. Ginger put herself between the new people and Jeanne and the girls.

"She's been bit." Carl said going toward the gate between where they were and where the others stayed.

"Please you gotta let us in." The big black man said.

"You'll be safe in there. Stay put, but she's gonna turn, put her down." He said walking away from the door.

"Mama, who those people?" Eve asked.

"I don't know baby." Jeanne answered. "She been bit, that woman?" Jeanne nodded toward the woman sprawled on the floor, pulling her revolver from her belt.

"Yeah, just stay away from her." The black man said.

"What's your name?" the black woman asked.

"I'm Ginger, this is Jeanne." Ginger introduced herself and Jeanne. "Who are you?" She asked keeping close to Jeanne and the girls.

"I'm Sasha, this is Tyreese. That's Allen, and his son Ben, and his wife, Donna." Sasha said motioning to each of them. Just then Donna let out a moan and gasped.

Jeanne stood quickly and made to move toward Donna, but Ginger grabbed her and pulled her back. "Stop." She whispered. "Let them handle their own. You gotta let 'em handle their own." Ginger told Jeanne firmer the second time. She nodded and sank back to the pallet she had been sitting on, relief washing over her as she felt the dizziness subside and Ginger wrap her arm around her.

Jeanne held the girls close keeping their faces turned away from the scene unfolding before them, as Donna died, then had a bullet put through her brain. The sound of the shot ricocheted off the walls of the enclosed space. After the shot was fired Emma hopped up, grabbed Eve's hand, and lead her around the woman's body and back over to where they had been reading.

Jeanne wanted to call them back, but Ginger rose, "Just call if you need anything." She said handing her a second bottle of water, then moved over to where the girls sat.

Jeanne had fever dreams that night, mixes of jagged pictures all revolving around Daryl. She woke around two in a cold sweat and sighed with relief when she realized her fever had broken. Emma was snuggled close to her back, while Eve was cuddled to her chest. Ginger was sleeping soundly beside her cuddling Emma close. Things seemed like always, but when she looked up a set of dark eyes met hers from across the room. She slowly moved from between her girls and got up to cross the room.

"Can't sleep?" She asked softly as she took a seat next to the big man called Tyreese.

"Probably could, just not used to sleepin'. Ya know?" Jeanne nodded.

"You wanna grab a few hours, I'm awake now." She said looking around the room. "You might not get many safe nights; I'd take advantage of them if I were you." Jeanne said nodding to the woman sleeping alone. "She yours?" Jeanne asked off hand.

Tyreese smiled a little. "I don't think Sasha could be anyone's." He answered then pulled his large frame up and moved over to Sasha and lay down next to her.

Jeanne sat up until sunrise just thinking. She wondered where they would go from there. How they would get there. Her mind was focused on all the problems that assaulted her every day. She knew she and Ginger would have to talk it through, but she had thought about heading to the coast. Hoped they could make it, maybe find a place to hold up a while longer. She sighed softly as the sun broke through the darkness of the room casting its rays on the floor and moving slowly up the walls.

She got up and went to her pack removing the package of crackers and water. She knew the girls would wake soon and she wanted to keep them quiet until everyone else got up and moving, then she began to pace. She had nervous energy pent up and had no outlet.

She jerked to a stop when she heard rustling. She turned to find Eve crawling out of her blanket. Jeanne smiled and pressed her finger to her lips then moved over to the table and put Eve up on one of the chairs, and gave her some crackers and the bottle of water.

A few hours later the rest of the groups were awake and moving. The boy and a woman Jeanne had not seen the day before came out and went outside, followed by the old man who told Tyreese's group where they could bury Donna's body.

Then the man came toward Jeanne and the girls. Jeanne instinctively put herself between the girls and the man. "I won't hurt you or your little girls ma'am, I just want to check you out, make sure you're alright."

"You a doctor?" Jeanne asked licking her lips and stepping back.

"I'm this groups' doctor. A vet originally." Jeanne nodded. "Would you let me check you over?"

Jeanne considered a minute, then nodded. "I got a couple bites this time." She said.

"What's your name?"

"Jeanne." She said as she pulled off her top.

"Well Jeanne I'm Hershel Greene. You been bitten before?" Jeanne nodded. "The fevers get worse each time or stay the same?"

"The fever depends on how many get at me. The more bites the worse the fever, but it always breaks. I ache for a few days, but then I'm back on my feet."

"Well Jeanne you got some battle wounds, but they are all healed, I'll get those bites cleaned up for you." Hershel said, "Beth will you get the bandages from my cell please?" Jeanne looked up to find a beautiful young blonde woman standing at the gate between the cell block and the holding room cradling a baby. She nodded and went to get the supplies.

When she returned Hershel cleaned the bites on Jeanne's shoulder and her ankle, then bandaged both. "How is it you don't turn?"

Jeanne shrugged. "No idea."

"Are your girls immune too?" He asked her.

Jeanne shook her head. "Don't know, I doubt their daddies were, but I'm not taking chances."

"Daddies?" Hershel asked. When Jeanne gave him a look he looked at his hands. "I'm sorry ma'am, you'll have to forgive me, it maybe a new world but I'm still old fashioned, I didn't mean any offense."

"Emma isn't mine, well not by anything more than time and love. Her daddy Merle left her with me when he and his brother left. Ain't seen him or Daryl in a good long while." Jeanne nodded.

"Did you say Daryl and Merle?" A woman's voice asked from behind her.

"Yeah," Jeanne said turning. "You…" Jeanne licked her lips and stood. "You know the Dixon boys?" Jeanne asked coming toward the short haired woman. "You know Daryl?" She asked slowly.

The woman nodded. "I knew Merle, we know Daryl. He's a good man." The woman nodded.

Jeanne gasped softly holding back every emotion she had been fighting over the last year. "He's alive?"

"Yes. He should be back soon, with Rick and the others." The woman said coming toward Jeanne.

Jeanne nodded and took a deep breath. "He never got to meet Eve, I'm sure he'll be surprised." She told the woman.

"Jeanne this is Carol, Carol why don't you take Jeanne and her girls into the cell block and help them get settled in." Hershel said startling Jeanne out of her thoughts.

"We should wait for Rick." Carol said quickly.

"Jeanne is part of Daryl's family, she belongs here." He nodded.

"Ginger, she's part of my group, please, she's part of my family. Please." Hershel nodded.

"Beth, will you help Jeanne and Ginger set up a cell. Carol go find Carl, I'm sure he could use some help." Carol gave him a grim look then turned to leave.

"Don't worry now, you're safe here. Carol will adjust; we're all leery of new people."

"Is she yours?" Jeanne asked nodding to the baby Beth carried.

"Oh, no, she's…I mean…her mother…" Beth couldn't get it out.

"Her mama died in childbirth?" Jeanne asked softly.

Beth nodded. Jeanne gave her a sad look then followed her into a cell near the end. "You can use this one if you like or the two next to it are empty, you can pick whichever. I know it isn't much, but we can clean them up some, so they aren't so bad." Beth told her.

"You're too kind, it'll be just fine. Ginger can you bring those in here? I'll get the girls things." Ginger nodded and Jeanne smiled at Beth as she moved out of the cell and back into the holding room to get the girls things.

Just as Hershel was coming back the other group came back into the holding room, Beth went out to make lunch while Hershel went to tend to any wounds Tyreese's group may have had.

An hour later Carl and Carol came back followed very closely by two men and a woman. The man went straight for the baby, while the woman and Beth went into a cell in the bottom of the cell block, while Hershel tended to the wounds the younger man had sustained. Ginger, Jeanne, and the girls stayed in their cell, keeping out of the way, and waiting.

Once things calmed down Jeanne went out and spoke to Beth, who took her to the older man.

"Rick." She said softly taking the crying baby from him.

"Yeah?" He asked looking a little startled.

"Rick, this is Jeanne."

"Jeanne? Where'd she come from?" Rick asked his aggressive side coming forth as he stood taller and looked her in the eye.

"Rick, Jeanne is Daryl's family. His daughter is up stairs." Beth explained.

"Daryl ain't here." He told her. "Daryl ain't ever gonna be here. He left us, he and Merle took off." He said looking Jeanne over.

"Rick, there's more. Jeanne…Jeanne's immune." Beth said swallowing hard.

Rick shook his head, then looked at her again.

"Look, if Daryl isn't here, and doesn't want to be here, that's his choice, but I'm a better shot than Daryl, and I can take care of my own. You need someone who can help you, you got me. I'll take care of my own, and I'll help you. Or I'll take my girls and I'll get the hell out of here, whatever you decide is fine by me." She said.

Rick took a deep breath. "I won't be responsible for you and your girls, that's on you. You can stay here for now." Jeanne nodded as Rick walked away to go talk to the others.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

The sun was bright and crisp, the air fresh and cool. She had been cooped up in that cabin for nearly a month. She hated that place. It was her only option, but one day she was going to break free and leave that place, she and Daryl. Pack everything up and just leave. Leave the hurt and the pain. Leave the mind numbing boredom. Leave that man.

How many times had Daryl taken the brunt of his beatings? How many times had he stepped in to protect her? After Merle left, how much of the man's temper had been let out on him? She didn't want to feel the wrath of the man's strap, but she never wanted Daryl hurt.

She was wandering now, just aimless, like the breeze. She could hear the creek flowing and bubbling, whispering sweet nothings to the forest. She veered that way, heading toward the water. When she reached it she splashed in, the water was cool on her bare feet and naked legs. She splashed down the creek until she reached the place where it swept around a bend and climbed out. She sat under a tree and pulled an apple out of her dress pocket.

"I thought you'd never get here." Jeanne jumped and looked up as Daryl swung down out of the tree then grabbed her apple took a bite and handed it back.

"Your daddy wouldn't let me leave." She said snatching the apple back and taking a bite. Daryl got a dangerous look in his eye.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Floors needed cleanin. Then he couldn't find his flask. Took the strap to me but passed out two lashes in." She said. Daryl pulled her up and started lifting her dress to look at her legs. There were two thick purpling welts across the backs of her thighs. He growled and dropped her skirt.

"He ain't gonna put his hands on you again." Jeanne hugged Daryl to her.

"Stop. I'm fine. You gotta come back though before suppers ready." Daryl nodded pushing away from her, then took off in a fast trot into the woods.

As she turned she heard a low moan then felt hands grabbing at her.

Jeanne shot up, her hand to her heart. Rick had chased that group out the day before. She was in a prison. She was safe. She looked around. The girls were cuddled together on the bunk above her, while Ginger snuggled up close to her, her back pressed to the wall. Jeanne looked around the room then eased off the bed. She moved quietly out of her cell and down the stairs. She looked around when she got the sense of someone watching her, her skin prickled and as she turned she met Glenn's hard look, he said nothing just watched as she moved out of the cell block and toward the yard.

She stood watching the yard for a long time, the sun rising and the prison beginning to come alive. She watched as Axel and Carol went about fortifying the cat walk over the yard. She gave them a hand where she could. Ginger stayed in with the baby and the girls, helping Beth as best she could, getting to know the others. A few minutes later she saw Glenn come out of the prison, get in a truck, and leave the compound.

At one point Carol approached her, a smile on her face. "I'm sorry about yesterday." She said. "Daryl never mentioned you, he's a good man, but you were a surprise."

"I'm sorry about that. I wasn't looking for Daryl; in fact I was pretty sure he was dead. We were just trying to find a safe place."

"How old are your girls?" Carol asked a hint of sadness in the question. Jeanne helped Carol lift a pallet and carry it across the catwalk.

"Evie is five and Emma is ten." She answered. Carol smiled and nodded.

"They are beautiful girls."

"Thank you." She answered, she wanted to ask if Carol had children, but decided not to, she had a feeling it was not something she wanted to talk about. "It looks like we've got a good bit done, I need to go check on the girls, will you be ok up here?"

Carol smiled. "Yes. I'll come find you if I need any more help." Jeanne nodded then headed to go back in, passing Axel on her way she nodded hello, then moved on.

Inside the girls were singing a song with Beth, while Ginger had found a needle and thread and was mending the holes in the girls' clothes. Jeanne smiled when she saw them both smiling. It had been a long time since they could be children.

Jeanne left them with Beth and went over to Ginger. "What are you doing?" She asked taking a seat on the steps next to her.

"Found these at the bottom of my bag, I was working on ‘em back at the estate, I had forgotten about ‘em." She said as she began to sew again. "They're pretty rough on clothes these days." She commented.

"Yes they are. I was won-" Just then shots rang out. Jeanne's heart jumped into her throat. "Ya'll stay here. Don't leave this room." Jeanne ordered looking Ginger in the eyes, “I mean it, stay here." She said grabbing the pistol out of her back pocket and picking up her crossbow on the way out the door. She ran for the yard. She could see the men out past the gates as well as the man in the guard tower. She hit the deck as a spray of bullets popped around her. She saw Carol pinned down and moved to dodge behind one of the walls, before taking aim and laying down some cover fire for her with the help of Carl and Maggie.

She continued to shoot at the man spraying bullets at them. Finally Maggie was able to take him down. Just as Jeanne was about to take a breath, there was a loud crash and a truck came blaring through the front gates. Jeanne and the others went running for the gate to watch in horror as Michonne and Hershel were pinned down in the field by gunfire. She watched as someone jumped from the truck and opened a gate releasing a large number of the dead into the yard, then ran by shooting at Michonne and then out of the destroyed gate.

The men outside the gate continued to fire at Hershel but Michonne was on her way, taking down the dead with her katana as she went. Just as Jeanne was about to throw open the gate and run to help, Glenn came raging back through the gates, swinging to pick up Michonne and Hershel, before powering toward the inner gate.

"Where the hell is Rick?!" Glenn asked as he threw open the truck door and jumped out. Watching from the gate Jeanne saw Rick pinned to the outer fence three of the dead on top of him, she gasped as a crossbow bolt flew out of the woods and caught one of the dead, dropping him. Merle took another of them down while Rick dispatched the last.

The three men turned looking at the inner gate before moving together toward it, picking off the dead as they moved through the yard. They reached the gate together and Glenn and Jeanne threw it open letting them in. Daryl paused only for a second when he saw her, his mouth dropping open then snapping shut.

Jeanne grabbed him to her, hugging him tight, then shoved him away and punched him as hard as she could in the jaw, dropping him to his knees. "Ya lyin son of a bitch!" She screamed at him, before turning away and heading toward the door.

"Eh girl, you get back here." Merle called after her following and grabbing her arm. "I said get back here."

"You ain't my daddy, and you sure as hell ain't your own. Let me go or I'll take the other one off."

"You ain't lost a lick of that temper have ya?" Merle said with a laugh still holding her arm.

Jeanne reached into her pocket and pulled out her knife flicking it open she held it up, "Let me go." She said, her voice a deadly calm. Merle let her arm go lifting his arms in a surrender motion.

Jeanne moved inside and toward the cell block. Beth and Ginger met her at the door both holding weapons. "It's alright girls, everything's ok. Where are the babies?" She asked.

"In our cell." Ginger said as Beth came out and headed toward the yard then stopped.

"Ginger will you watch the baby?" Ginger nodded.

Jeanne moved into the cell block and toward the cell she had claimed as her own. She went in and gathered Eve into her arms. "Oh baby." She said softly kissing her hair and just holding her. A few minutes later she heard the group coming in; Daryl was up the stairs and standing in front of her cell quickly. Jeanne sat there holding Eve then looked up at him a hard look on her face. Daryl just stared.

"Mommy." Eve said softly pulling a strand of her hair to get her attention. "Is that my daddy?" She asked looking with big blue eyes up at Daryl.

Daryl looked at Jeanne as if asking the same question. Jeanne licked her lips then nodded. Daryl took a deep breath. "I went back for you." He told her. "The house was in ashes. The truck was gone. I thought you were dead."

"Well, we aren't." She said. Emma looked at him tilting her head.

"You're Daryl?" She asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, who're you?"

"I'm Emma Louise Dixon." She said.

"I ain't seen you since you was a baby."

"Is my father here?" She asked.

"Yeah. He's down there." He said pointing.

Emma moved toward the door. "Wait Em, I'll go with you."

"No mama, I gotta do this by myself. I'm not a baby anymore. I'll be ok." She said, then licked her lips and moved forward.

Daryl let her past then stood awkwardly at the door, Eve struggled out of Jeanne's lap and went over to Daryl wrapping her arms around his legs, then lifted her small hands to be picked up. "Daddy." She said softly.

Jeanne just watched opening her mouth to stop Eve, but halted when Daryl leaned down and picked her up resting her on his hip. "Hello." He said as she ran her small fingers over his face.

"You got a bwuies." She said touching the place on his chin where Jeanne had hit him.

"Your mama still throws a mean right hook." He told her gently pushing her hand down, then he just stared at her for a minute, before he set her down, "Go find Beth." He told her and she obeyed leaving Jeanne alone with him. He entered her cell and sat next to her. "How old is she?" He asked.

"She's yours." She answered.

"How old?"

"Five." She answered and looked away.

"Five god damned years." He said softly. "I ain't seen you in five god damned years. Explain to me why cold cocking me was your first reaction."

"Actually, hugging you was my first reaction if you recall." Jeanne said deadpan. He nodded then.

"Yeah, guess it was." He reached up and pushed a strand of loose hair behind her ear. Memories flooded back to him. He could see her how he'd left her, standing barefoot on the front porch. She'd been wearing a long dress, but he knew she had thrown it on in a rush that morning just so she could come out and kiss him goodbye. Jeanne froze, there was kindness in the man before her and a fire burned through her. He knew her and she knew him. He had been hers, now he was no more. He was someone else's. And so was she. Daryl felt a softness when he was near her, a piece of him had been frozen solid since he had found the house in cinders, and that piece was slowly melting.

"Daryl."

"Jeanne." He said at the same time. They both stopped.

"Daryl I believe you came back for me. We had to leave in a hurry, we were surrounded. It was so hard. There were days when I didn't know where to go or what to do. I was scared and hurt and tired, but I kept going. I kept Evie safe. I kept Emma safe. We survived. I know that don't mean much but I never stopped thinking about you. Never stopped worrying about you."

"Jeanne, I thought you were dead. I couldn't let myself believe you were alive somewhere alone. But I never stopped thinking about you either. I never stopped caring. You were what made me help these people. You were what made me want to stay with these people. Carol…she reminds me of you; she's strong, and smart. She's a good woman."

Jeanne smiled pain in her eyes. "She says you're a good man. She believes it too." She nudged his arm with hers then smiled again. "Where does that leave us?" Jeanne asked softly after a long moment.

"I don't know." He said then leaned in and kissed her mouth for a brief moment. "One day at a time."

Jeanne laughed. "We only have today, tomorrow is a joke without a punchline." Jeanne leaned forward, took either side of his face in her hands and kissed him on the mouth hard. Daryl didn't move for a moment, then drove the fingers of one hand into her hair, his other hand going to her backside dragging her closer.

"Daryl!" Rick bellowed. Daryl broke free and stood. Gave her a look then moved out of the room and down the stairs.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Emma walked slowly toward the gate that separated the cell block from the holding area. She could see the big man behind the bars. He looked like a caged animal, he was barrel chested, missing a hand, and looked mean. She walked up to the bars and stared at him. He looked up and gave her a grim look.

"Whatdya want kid?" He asked before spitting on the floor. She didn't answer just watched him for a long while. "You got somethin ta say?" He asked her getting up and coming toward the bars. She tilted her head and stepped back out of his reach.

"I imagined you different." She said softly. "You don't look like Uncle Daryl." She told him.

"What do you mean Uncle Daryl?" He demanded.

Emma gave him a look, "I'm Emma Louise Dixon. I'm your daughter." She said watching him. She had no expectations of this meeting. She had been Eve's age when he had left and had very few memories of him, none of them good. Jeanne had been her family, this man was not, he was just someone who helped to make her. She did not respect him, nor did she care about him, but she did wish to know him. "Mama says you're my father."

"And who the fuck is your mama?" He asked spitting on the floor at her feet.

She gave him a disgusted look. "I have no idea who the woman who gave birth to me was, but Jeanne has raised me, she is my mom." She told him then turned away. "That's really gross." She said a she walked away.

"Hey!" He called after her. "You get back here!" He yelled. "Get your little ass back here." he bellowed, she ignored him.

"Daryl!" The man from the day before was yelling. Daryl came down the stairs and stopped beside him.

Everyone else hurried toward Rick, Jeanne following closely behind Daryl.

"We're not leaving!" Rick yelled at once.

"We can't stay here." Hershel demanded.

"What if there's another sniper, those pallets won't hold up against that kind of round." Maggie said, her voice firm, but there was fear there. Jeanne had been shot at too; she knew what a bullet like that would do to wood, let alone a human body. She was with Maggie.

"We can't even go outside." Beth told Rick coming toward the railing.

"Not in the daylight anyway." Carol moved toward Beth, she was shaken but she knew she could get through this too, after everything else; she couldn't let someone shooting at her get to her now. She knew she had to hold it together, not just for herself, but for the others too.

"If Rick says we're not running, we're not running, why are we discussing this?" Glenn demanded of the group at large, he was angry; it was in his face, in his posture, in every cell of his body, he was angry, and nothing would quell that anger but the Governor's blood.

"Better to live like rats." Merle said through the bars where he stood.

"You got a better plan?" Rick asked looking at him, waiting.

"Yeah, we shoulda slid outta here last night; live to fight another day, but we lost that window, didn't we? Now I'm sure he's got scouts on every road outta here by now."

"We ain't scared of that prick." Daryl yelled at his brother.

"Really? Ya'll should be." Merle huffed. "That whole thing with the truck and the fence, that was just him ringing the doorbell. We might have a few thick walls to hide behind, but he's got the guns and the man power to take it down. And believe you me, if he takes the high ground round this place, we are fucked, he can just starve us out if he wants to."

"Let’s just put him in the other cell block." Maggie said as she moved toward the gate.

"No." Rick ordered stopping Maggie in her progress.

"You know he's got a point." Daryl defended.

Maggie turned to Merle flinging her fist at him pointing and yelling "This is your fault! You started this!"

"What difference does it make who started it? What do we do about it?" Beth asked coming down the stairs toward the group.

"We should leave, and I mean it." Hershel said his head in his hands. "Axle's dead, we can't just sit here." Rick turned to leave, moving toward the common area. "Get back here!" Hershel bellowed. Hershel got to his foot quickly and began moving after Rick. "You're slipping, we have all seen it, and we understand why. But now is not the time. You once said that this is not a democracy, now you have to own up to that. I put my family's lives in your hands. So get your head clear and do something."

Rick growled slightly, then turned and left the others in silence. Jeanne looked over at Daryl, he looked grim. Carl followed him out. Hershel had taken his girls into his cell to speak with them quietly, Carol and Ginger went to check on the children, as Emma approached Jeanne.

Jeanne sighed and went up to her cell and began to pack up her things. She had to decide what to do. She could stay here and fight, risk her life, but moreover her children's lives, or she could get out now while she had the chance. She had just found Daryl but he was part of a new family now. She knew she could survive alone again. She didn't know if Ginger would come with her if she left, she would have to talk to the woman, but whatever the choice she made, she wanted to be ready to go at the drop of a hat, she knew her time was short.

A little while later Rick came back in. "Maggie you go keep watch, keep your head down. The field is filled with walkers; just keep your eyes on the perimeter." He said handing her the gun and heading toward where Glenn, Daryl, Hershel, and Michonne were standing in a closed group.

"I can get up in the guard tower and take down half those walkers, give these guys some time to fix the fence." Daryl volunteered.

"Or we could move that bus out to block the way." Michonne offered.

"We can't waste the bullets." Rick said.

"Rick’s right." Hershel agreed.

"So we're trapped in here?" Glenn protested. "We're nearly out of food and ammo."

"We've been here before." Daryl said with a nod as she mounted the stairs.

"That was when we didn't have a snake in the nest." Glenn threw at Daryl. "We could kill two birds with one stone, hand over Merle; use him as a bargaining chip."

"He's my brother, and he's stayin! Get used to it, all of you!" Daryl bellowed and stormed up the stairs.

He headed down to the cell Jeanne was sharing with Ginger and the girls. "What are you doin?" He asked leaning against the cell door.

Jeanne jumped then settled and turned toward him as she finished packing Emma's backpack. "Just packing up." She said biting her lips together.

"You leavin?"

"Don't know. Not sure I want to risk our child for a piece of dirt and people I don't know." She said turning fully to face him, then standing up, tucking her hands in her pockets. "Please. They seem like real nice people Daryl; you made a home and a family with them, but this, it ain't my fight, and I don't know if I can stay. I don't know if I can put Emma or Eve in that position. You have to understand. Ginger and I will talk about it." She nodded.

Daryl came fully into the cell and closed the door behind him. "You think I'm gonna let you walk out of here? Alone?" He asked. "With my child?" Jeanne took an involuntary step back.

"Look, I…" Daryl cut her off by grabbing her close and kissing her hard on the mouth backing her up against the wall behind her. His hand went to her hair, burying there and twisting slightly, as his mouth ranged down from her mouth to her throat and neck. Jeanne drove her fingers into his hair holding him close, moaning softly, then clamping it off when it echoed slightly around the hard stone walls of the cell.

"I love you." He said breaking away from her. "Please, don't leave me." He begged. He had never begged for anything in his whole life, but he was begging her not to leave him. "Please don't make me go through that again." He said taking her hand in his and lifting it above her head before going back to her mouth.

Jeanne slammed her eye closed to prevent the tears she rarely let fall. She wouldn't cry, wouldn't show any weakness. When he broke his second bone melting assault of her mouth she gasped softly, then pushed him back and looked him in the eye. "I will not leave without telling you. I will speak to Ginger and give you our answer." She said stroking his cheek. "Now, I have to go check on Evie." Daryl followed her out then went to the cell he sometimes used and flopped down on the bunk.

He was just examining some of his crossbow bolts when Carol appeared in the doorway. "Don't know if I ever told you, but I'm glad you came back." She paused for a moment coming in and sitting on the bench. "Look, I know he's your brother, but he's not good for you, don't let him bring you down. You're better than that." She told him.

"He's my brother. I'm glad I came back too."

She was silent for a few minutes. "Jeanne…" She trailed off, not sure how to proceed with what she had to say. "I…"

"She's the mother of my child and I love her." He told Carol. "You're a good woman Carol, a damn good woman. I don't know what I'm gonna do." He told her. "She might leave." He said, then got up. "I don't know where that puts you and me. I love you. But I love her too." He told her and left the cell.

A moment later Carl came barreling into the cell block, "Andrea's here!" he hollered. "Dad, Glenn, Darly! Come quick." He yelled them ran back out the way he'd come.

Jeanne grabbed her crossbow and pistol and followed them out calling to Ginger, "Watch the girls."


End file.
